Sabella & La Torre still a family affair

Sabella & La Torre got its start as a small seafood stand in 1927. One of Fisherman's Wharf's original occupants, it changed its name and has expanded over the years.

Sabella & La Torre got its start as a small seafood stand in 1927. One of Fisherman's Wharf's original occupants, it changed its name and has expanded over the years.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

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Sabella & La Torre got its start as a small seafood stand in 1927. One of Fisherman's Wharf's original occupants, it changed its name and has expanded over the years.

Sabella & La Torre got its start as a small seafood stand in 1927. One of Fisherman's Wharf's original occupants, it changed its name and has expanded over the years.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

Image 3 of 5

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Sabella and La Torre opened in 1927 and was one of the first Fisherman's Wharf restaurants in San Francisco, California, as a covered display of family photos are seen in front of the restaurant on Wednesday, September 4, 2013. less

Sabella and La Torre opened in 1927 and was one of the first Fisherman's Wharf restaurants in San Francisco, California, as a covered display of family photos are seen in front of the restaurant on Wednesday, ... more

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

Image 5 of 5

Sabella and La Torre opened in 1927 and was one of the first Fisherman's Wharf restaurants in San Francisco.

Sabella and La Torre opened in 1927 and was one of the first Fisherman's Wharf restaurants in San Francisco.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

Sabella & La Torre still a family affair

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This is part of a series exploring the Port of San Francisco restaurants. These waterfront spots embrace and reflect the city's oldest - and newest - culinary traditions, and they have plenty of stories to tell. Previous articles are at www.sfgate.com/food and www.sfchronicle.com/food.

The story of Sabella & La Torre begins with the Sabellas in 1927, when Luciano Sabella and his son, Antone, opened a small seafood stand at Fisherman's Wharf.

After World War II, Antone sold the stand to his brothers, Frank and Michael, and his nephews, Tony and Louis La Torre, and though the business eventually expanded into a sit-down restaurant, not much has changed in the time since.

"We still cater to a lot of locals and longshoremen, we're still doing the fresh crabs and fresh fish, and we still take pride in the business," says general manager Don McFarland.

Frank Sabella is still going strong - he turns 101 in October - and the same goes for his family's bread-and-butter.

Sabella & La Torre, one of Fisherman's Wharf's original occupants, now spans two outdoor crab stands, a full-service restaurant and bar, and even a crab-shipping business.

McFarland, who is married to Frank Sabella's granddaughter Kristina, helps run the show for Frank Jr. and Tom La Torre. Both McFarland and La Torre learned the trade from the ground up, bussing tables and working the crab stands, and to this day, either he or Tom is usually on duty. Call it familial pride: Frank Jr. worked until he was 70, only retiring about a year ago.

A visit to Sabella & La Torre's - look for the blue-and-white awning - is an exercise in decision-making. Eat inside or outside? Clam chowder or seafood cocktail? Crab cakes or crab Louis?

The food is classic Fisherman's Wharf fare, from the seafood specials to Italian pasta plates. Popular items, aside from the usual seafood cocktails, whole crabs and raw oysters, include the marinated calamari, which features boiled squid in a Sicilian-style dressing of olive oil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes.

Venture indoors, and you'll find a charming, old-school atmosphere with dark banquettes and booths and granite countertops. The menu is large and the portions even larger. Best of all, meals are served with a side of hospitality. Children are welcomed with paper placemets and crayons, and the staff is cheery.

"Our No. 1 thing is customer service," McFarland says. "We know there are a lot of tourists here, but we don't want that attitude where we feed you one time and that's it. We want you to return because everyone's friendly."